Challenges to running a hospital

Running a hospital in Papua New Guinea has many challenges. At times, we face a lack of supplies, of medicine, of equipment, of power, of staff, of trained or specialized workers, of training, of money, of beds for patients, of doctors, of surgeons, of oxygen, of chaplains, of support from the government and more. We have found ways to supplement the supplies we get from the Government through Nazarene Hospital Foundation, Project Save and donations from the church and individuals. When we have needed a new building, we have gotten assistance from Australia Aid and other NGOs who have been willing to invest and partner with us. Despite the challenges for the past almost 50 years, Kudjip Nazarene Hospital has continued to serve the people in the Highlands of PNG who come for medical care and has been committed to serving and sharing God’s love with those who come and as a result many lives have been changed. About a month ago, we learned that we may be facing a budget cut of up to 40% for 2016. If this is true, it could mean significant changes for our hospital, for the service we provide, for our staff and their families. Our hospital’s budget covers salaries, medicines, supplies, ambulance travel, hospital maintenance, and much much more. As we are considering options to make the budget work, we are faced with many difficult decisions, but the bottom line is how do we continue to provide good patient care to those who come…
Source: Challenges to running a hospital from Erin Meier – Asia Pacific